2. Contact Info

3. Dealer Selection

The Chicago Auto Show, now in its 99th year, bills itself as the largest auto show in North America, and as we all know, size does indeed matter. But while it may be the largest, the second whistle stop on the annual international auto show tour doesn’t usually pack all that show floor space with a glut of spanking new world premieres.

That’s not to say there isn’t anything hot set to spin at the ginormous McCormick Place on Chi-town’s famed Lake Shore Drive. The biggest blockbuster of a debut blowing into the Windy City this year is Pontiac’s latest thunder from Down Under, the Pontiac G8. Based on the new Holden Commodore from General Motors’ Australian subsidiary, the G8 is one mean looking machine which should help revive Pontiac’s tarnished image as a performance division. GM is also bringing its new Saturn (Opel) Astra and two cool special edition Corvettes to the party.

Lots of reskinned trucks and SUVs will be rolling out to the floor, including a trio of updated Nissans, the freshened Toyota Highlander and a dolled-up Dodge Dakota. More refreshed faces will adorn Ford‘s Mercury Montego and the Freestyle. Also on the stand will be two Scions, the next xB and an all-new model, the xD, and knowing those wacky kids at Scion, they won’t be mistaken for anything else.

The show press days are Feb. 7-8, so be sure to stop back early and often. We’ll be rushing around McCormick Place’s humongous halls to bring you all the latest and greatest as it happens.

Saturn’s extreme makeover marches on. With the Aura on sale and the new Opel Antara-based Vue ready to replace the origami-breadvan SUV later this year, Saturn is about to purge its remaining plastic-bodied car from the lineup. In late ’07, the Astra subcompact replaces the Ion. The Saturn Astra will be built in Antwerp, Belgium, alongside its identical (but for the badging and grillework) Opel/Vauxhall Astra. The European models debuted in March 2004 and have been a hit for GM Europe, and at times beat Volkswagen’s Golf in sales on the Continent.

Sole engine (for now) is a 140-horsepower, 126 lb-ft 1.8-liter twin-cam iron-block four with aluminum heads. A five-speed manual or four-speed automatic will be offered. A future Redline version would include the 2.0-liter turbo engine from the Sky Redline.

The 2008 Vue will be the next member of Saturn’s performance Red Line lineup. The Vue Red Line will feature a sport-tuned suspension, more aggressive front fascia, 18-inch wheels and Red Line badging. The vehicle receives a Red Line-only ebony interior with black leather sport seats with suede inserts and Red Line logo gauge graphics, and embroidered floor mats.

Power will be supplied by a 3.6-liter V-6 that puts out 250 horsepower 243 lb-ft mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with tap-up/tap-down shifting. Like the regular vehicle, the Vue Red Line will be available in both front-drive and all-wheel drive configurations.

The Green Line is the hybrid version of the Opel Antara-based Vue first seen last November at the Los Angeles Show. The vehicle is powered by an electric generator 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a four-speed automatic – the same powertrain found in the upcoming Aura Green Line. Fuel economy numbers weren’t given, but gains should be in the 20-25% range.

Hummer will be bringing a limited edition model H2 to the 2007 Chicago Auto Show next week. Dubbed the Victory Red Edition, the most obvious feature of the vehicle is its blazing red paint scheme, but the distinction doesn’t stop there.

For 2008, Nissan adds a Long Wheelbase version and the sporty Pro-4x model to the Titan lineup. All Titans get a revised front end, wheel lip moldings and new wheel styles. There’s a new seat design, refined instrument cluster, available Bluetooth, XM pre-wiring, heated leather bench seat, revised center stack, an 8.0-inch DVD screen (up from 7.0 inches) and two new exterior colors.

The 2008 Nissan Armada gets a new front fascia, headlamp and foglamp designs, a new one-piece roof rack, revised rear fascia, 20-inch wheel and tire package, two new colors and interior refinements, including a third-row power-folding 60/40 seat.

After 22 years on the market, the Nissan Pathfinder gets a V-8, a 300-plus horse 5.6-liter V-8 for ’08. The exterior gets a facelift, new wheel designs, new bodyside moldings and two new exterior colors.

During Corvette’s recent ALMS dominance, including class victories at the legendary Le Mans 24 Hour, one constant has been Ron Fellows, Corvette racer extraordinaire. He helped test and develop the first Corvette C5.R race car and recorded the team’s first win in 2000. Fellows has won or shared multiple ALMS class championships and has been an integral part of all six consecutive ALMS GT1 manufacturers championships for Chevy. He’s also raced in multiple NASCAR series events among his many other racing accomplishments.

So Chevy decided to celebrate his distinguished career with a specially prepped 2007 Corvette Z06 production model. All are sprayed in Arctic White paint, including color-keyed door handles, and are highlighted by a racing-style fender stripe and Fellows’ autograph.

The front fender graphic treatment has been styled similar to that of the Corvette GT1 race car. The red stripes with silver borders feature Fellows’ autograph in a contrasting red shade, along with graphics marking the championship years with him behind the wheel. The color choices and maple leaf logo motif are a nod to Fellows’ Canadian heritage.

The 2007 race marks the ninth time a Corvette has served Indy’s official pacer and the fourth year in a row overall. Previous years were 1978, 1986, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006. It’s the 18th time a Chevy has been selected as the pace car, more than any other brand. The C6 Corvette is able to handle its pacing duties in basically factory-stock trim, with little more than safety equipment and strobe lights added.

Although the Alpina B7 was unleashed on the public last July, the longtime BMW tuner will finally be bringing its take on the 7 Series stateside.

With 500 horsepower available from the B7’s supercharged 4.4-liter V-8, 0-60 mph runs are snapped off in 4.8 seconds. A six-speed semi-automatic transmission delivers the power to 21-inch wheels and a more firmly tuned suspension keeps the B7 in shape when the road gets twisty. Alpina has also added its own body kit to to the mix to aid stability and performance.

Alpina is one of the world’s foremost BMW tuners, and has been factory approved since 1964. There were 200 Alpina B7s designated for U.S. sale last July, and with the vehicle being shown in Chicago, there are likely still at least a couple left available for the well-heeled BMWphile looking for a 7 Series with some kick.

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